Safeguarding your financial security is only one of the reasons it makes sense to purchase car insurance. And the more you know about auto insurance, the smarter the choices you'll make when it comes time to renew or buy that new policy. Spend a little time learning about car insurance; while you may never need to file a claim, if you do, you'll be very glad you did.

Since stockholders benefit from the stock’s appreciation, people argue that the short-term interests of investors don’t always align with the long-term interest of the company. Many feel that mutual insurance companies are better because the policyholders’ interests align well with what’s best for the company, specifically lowering insurance rates and paying out dividends to attract more customers. Below, we list the top ten auto insurance companies by type, excluding USAA, which is an insurance exchange for military personnel.

Compare major insurers' financial strength and claims satisfaction ratings to better predict the level of service you will receive. Claims satisfaction — assigned by J.D. Power — is rated on a scale of 2 to 5, with 5 being "among the best" and 2 being "the rest." Financial strength — calculated by A.M. Best and ranging from "Poor" to "Superior" — assesses an insurance company's financial strength and ability to satisfy its policy and contractual obligations.

First, you can play with your deductible. We all like to have the least amount of out of pocket expense if we are involved in an accident. However, the lower the deductible, the higher your premium will be. Select a higher deductible amount. If you have chosen a $500 deductible, rerun your quote with a $1,000 or higher deductible. This will assuredly lower your overall premium.

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Unfortunately, Liberty Mutual gave us our most expensive quote at $194 per month. It has a modest deductible range of $50 to $1,000, but there are no higher deductible options for those hoping to lower their premiums. One concession to this is the Deductible Fund endorsement, which lowers your collision deductible by $100 every year you go without an accident (up to $500). Liberty Mutual does also offer several discounts to bring premium costs down, including multi-policy, multi-car, safe driver, alternative energy, good student and new address discounts.
Because most forms of insurance are regulated at the state level, state legislation influences car insurance premiums. For instance, in Michigan, a no-fault state, state law requires an unlimited amount of Personal Injury Protection coverage, a requirement that increases the cost of car insurance. Although each state legislates insurance differently, auto insurance prices may vary on a zip code-by-zip code basis. Below is an analysis of the cheapest and most expensive states for car insurance (from The Zebra's State of Insurance study).

Virginia has a 10-year lookback period for most offenses, though subsequent offenses committed within five years may lead to harsher penalties. Penalties are also enhanced for high or extremely high BAC levels or for committing a DUI offense while transporting a passenger who is 17 years old or younger. All DUI offenders must report to an Alcohol Safety Action Program for screening and review. There may be a required attendance in classes or treatment before license reinstatement.

If the insurance company is willing to renew your policy, in most cases you’ll receive notice a minimum of 14 days before the expiration date of your policy. The notice generally includes how much you have to pay as well as when you have to pay by. If you pay your premiums every month, you won’t have to do anything as the company will simply continue to draw payment for your account on the same date every month. However, if you pay your premium as an annual lump sum, you should talk to your insurance company to see how you can make the payment.

What changes between each state’s auto insurance requirements is how much of each type of coverage is needed. Both bodily injury and property damage liability coverage is required in almost every state, and some states require personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage as well. Each state also has its own minimum liability limits, presented as bodily injury limit for a single person, bodily injury limit on the entire accident, and property damage limit.

"After being with my insurance company for just shy of 10 years, and after having shopped at companies that everyone around my hometown swore were the cheapest (including unadvertised "bargain" companies and giant comparison shopping brands), I decided to shop here at Cheap Car Insurance and ended up saving just under $1,100 off my annual insurance bill, which is a lot more than I ever could have imagined anyone saving, especially me, an avid online shopper and extreme bargain hunter [...]